Mayo Clinic's approach

Teamwork

Mayo Clinic's wrist-fracture treatment teams include specialists in Orthopedic Surgery and in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. These experts work together with the goal of restoring strength and range of motion in your wrist and fingers, and easing stiffness. Mayo Clinic specialists also can help manage osteoporosis to decrease the risk of additional fractures.

Having all of this specialized expertise in a single place, focused on you, means that you're not just getting one opinion — your care is discussed among the team, your test results are available quickly, your appointments are scheduled in coordination, and highly specialized orthopedic and rehabilitation experts are all working together to determine what's best for you.

What might take months to accomplish elsewhere can typically be done in only a matter of days at Mayo Clinic.

Experience

Each year, Mayo Clinic specialists treat more than 1,000 people with all types of wrist fractures. The best treatment depends on the characteristics of your fracture and your specific needs and health. Individualized treatment reduces the risk of treatment complications resulting in pain and limited wrist function.

Mayo Clinic orthopedic specialists have the experience to recommend the best treatment option for individual patients. Mayo Clinic hand surgeons have extensive experience performing both routine and complex wrist surgeries.

Advanced technology

Mayo Clinic specialists use special types of MRI and CT scans that allow excellent understanding of the fracture to determine the best treatment option. To help the fracture heal or to heal more quickly, Mayo Clinic surgeons can keep the blood vessels attached to a bone graft (vascularized bone graft) so it retains its blood flow after it's moved to a different location.

Mayo Clinic's orthopedic surgeons also use the most up-to-date types of hardware to hold wrist bones together when fixing fractures or during wrist fusions.

Research

Mayo Clinic researchers are studying ways to improve wrist fracture treatment. Specific efforts include assessing outcomes of treatment using bridge plates and the risk of developing arthritis after wrist-fracture surgery.

Nationally recognized expertise

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, is ranked high performing for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic in Minnesota has been recognized as one of the top Rehabilitation hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.

Expertise and rankings

Experience. Each year, Mayo Clinic doctors treat more than 1,000 people with all types of wrist fractures. Mayo Clinic orthopedic specialists have experience assessing wrist fractures and recommending the best treatment option for you. Mayo Clinic hand surgeons have extensive experience performing both routine and complex wrist surgeries.

State-of-the-art imaging. Mayo Clinic doctors use special types of MRI and CT scans that allow excellent understanding of the fracture. Precise imaging can help determine the best treatment — which can help you avoid complications that limit wrist function.

Vascularized bone grafts. To help the fracture heal quickly, Mayo Clinic surgeons can keep the blood vessels attached to a bone graft, so it retains its blood flow after it's moved to a different location.

Innovative hardware. Mayo Clinic's orthopedic surgeons use the most up-to-date types of hardware to hold wrist bones together when fixing fractures or during wrist fusions.

Coordinated care. At Mayo Clinic, rehabilitation is an important part of wrist fracture treatment. The goal is to restore the strength and range of motion in your wrist and fingers and to ease stiffness. Mayo specialists also can help manage osteoporosis to decrease the risk of additional fractures.

Costs and insurance

Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.

In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals, or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.

Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.

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